Georgian people are calling on the United Kingdom to take a principled stand against the ongoing repression in Georgia.

For years, the ruling Georgian Dream regime, led by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, has been tightening its grip on power, silencing critics and pushing the country closer to Moscow. What began as pressure on opposition parties and independent voices has now become open authoritarianism, marked by violence, fear and corruption.

Peaceful protesters, opposition members, journalists and activists are being arrested, beaten and tortured, pepper-sprayed, shot with rubber bullets and humiliated — simply for demanding freedom and a European future. Police use tear gas, water cannons, sound cannons and batons to violently disperse crowds, leaving people with broken bones, head injuries, chemical burns and permanent trauma. In December 2024 alone, more than 300 people were hospitalized after police used expired tear gas and even targeted medics. HRW Report. Independent media outlets have been shut down, NGOs are branded as “foreign agents” and new laws criminalize peaceful protest. 

Amnesty International has described this as a campaign of repression driven by political prosecutions, the silencing of the media and the abuse of detainees. Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists have documented dozens of cases where reporters were attacked, pepper-sprayed, detained, or had their equipment destroyed by police and pro-government groups, yet no one has been held accountable.

One of the most shocking cases is that of Mzia Amaglobeli, an independent journalist sentenced to two years in prison on politically motivated charges. She has become Georgia’s first female political prisoner since independence and was recognized by the European Parliament with the 2025 Sakharov Prize for courage.

All of the leaders of the opposition Coalition for Change are now in prison:  Zurab Japaridze, Nika Gvaramia, Nika Melia, and Elene Khoshtaria — along with Levan Khabeishvili, the chairman of the United National Movement, and others. Their arrests and prosecutions show how far the regime is willing to go to silence opposition voices in Georgia through intimidation, fabricated charges, and political imprisonment.

The European Parliament, EU leaders and international human rights groups have condemned the Georgian government’s repression, its attempts to ban opposition parties, and its crackdown on independent media. The regime has raided homes of activists at night, confiscated phones, and detained minors. Thousands of citizens, especially young people and students, continue to protest peacefully for democracy and Georgia’s European path, even as police respond with rubber bullets, tear gas, pepper spray, torture, and mass arrests.

Women protesters have been strip-searched, sexually harassed, threatened with rape, and subjected to electric shocks and forced psychiatric confinement. Some detainees have been forced to undress, filmed naked, or blackmailed with leaked videos. These are acts of cruelty and intimidation, not justice.

At the same time, the regime has openly aligned itself with Russia. It refused to join international sanctions on Moscow, restored direct flights, welcomed Russian businesses, and spread anti-Western propaganda. Georgian Dream MPs have praised Putin’s “traditional values” while attacking the EU. These actions betray the will of the Georgian people — more than 80% support EU membership. (IRI/NDI)

The United Kingdom and Georgia share a long history of friendship. The UK was among the first to recognize Georgia’s independence in 1918, and British soldiers helped train Georgian troops. Today, thousands of Georgians live, study and work in the UK, while the Georgian community in London continues to protest weekly outside Parliament, calling for action.

The United Kingdom has always stood for human rights and democracy. It must not remain silent while these abuses continue.

We call on the UK Government, Parliament, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to:

• Impose targeted sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, PM Irakli Kobakhidze and other Georgian Dream officials responsible for corruption, torture, and repression.
  
  
• Freeze their UK assets and impose travel bans under the Global Human Rights (Magnitsky) sanctions regime.
  
  
• Suspend visa-free ETA privileges for officials and their families. 
  
  
• Demand the immediate release of all political prisoners and journalists, including Mzia Amaglobeli and drop all politically motivated charges.
  
  
• Support international monitoring of human rights, detention conditions and future elections in Georgia by the OSCE, Council of Europe, and UN.
  
  
• Initiate a parliamentary debate on the crisis in Georgia and the UK’s response, led by the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The people of Georgia, especially our young generation, have shown extraordinary courage for over a year, standing up to violence and defending democracy. They are not only fighting for Georgia — they are defending Europe’s eastern border.

The UK has the power to act. Silence is complicity. By standing with Georgia, the UK stands with every nation resisting authoritarianism.

Please sign and share this petition to show solidarity with the Georgian people and demand real, immediate action against a regime that tortures its citizens, jails journalists and betrays democracy.